Slannon's apology
by Gwen Gamgee
Summary: BASED OFF THE MOVIE Slannon's got something to get off his chest by the end of this whole crazy adventure...


**So I have no idea why, but this randomly popped into my head the other day, even though I hadn't watched this movie in _ages._ So I wrote this, went and watched the movie again, then came back and edited. I only hope that in all that, Slannon did not drift too far out of character. Turns out, he's rather hard to pin down...**

**Anyways, Enjoy! I hope you like it...**

After the fight was over and done, the Prince victorious and his uncle off to the healers, Slannon found a way to grab Ella's attention. She'd been staring dreamily after Char as he went off to help deal with cleanup, but a tap on the shoulders had gotten her attention quick enough. Ella had never been one for staring dreamily anyways.

"Yes, Slannon?" she asked in her ever polite and truly interested voice. Slannon gulped and began to look rather uncomfortable. What he had to say would not be easy.

"Look, Ella, I just wanted to say… I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" She asked, puzzled.

"First off from being too late to keep you out that rotten prison cell-

"Slannon, you-

"And secondly," he said, firmly cutting her off, "For not realizing what a mess you were in in the first place." She frowned.

"Slannon, I really don't know what-

"Your curse, Ella," he said with a sigh, "I really should have noticed it earlier." Seeing as the only person she'd told about her curse was the prince, Ella felt quite justified in gaping a bit at the small elf she'd come to consider her friend.

"But wha-? How-?" she asked, thoroughly confused.

"I had a lot of time to think, marching through the forest in search of giants and elves you know," he said with a smirk, "And I thought to myself, why would a girl like Ella of Frell chain herself to a tree, when the Prince was in danger? And from someone like Edgar? Why not save the Prince herself? Unless, of course, she _was_ the danger, but then why send me, little elf man who can't sing, for help? And why hurt him in the first place? Someone could have ordered her, of course. It struck me, that for a firecracker, she _is_ rather obedient… Then it hit me. You _are_ obedient," he said pointing a finger at her, "You always did _everything_ you were told to do! And I thought, why? Why would someone as feisty as you _ever_ do what you were told? It had to be some sort of magical something or other, if it made you hurt Prince Charming over there," he said, thumbing in the Prince's direction, "and I figured you didn't tell anyone cause you'd been ordered not to, am I right?" He stood there, arms crossed, smirking, as Ella gaped at him some more before pulling herself together.

"Wow, Slannon… that's really…. Thought out." She smiled. "You're going to make a great lawyer."

"I know," he said with one final smirk before his face turned more serious, "Look, I just wanted to say I was sorry," he said again, "This whole time I've been making you do things you didn't want to do, and you're the first person to care about… well, to care about me as a person," he said, "Or any of the elves, or any of the other non-humans for that matter. You're…" he choked up a bit, his eyes watering, "You're one of the best friends a guy like me is ever gona get, and I've done a rotten job at it."

"Hey," Ella protested, taking Slannon by the shoulders, "You got help just when I need you to," she reminded him with a small smirk, "You complained, but you did it. Not many other people would have done that Slannon, not without a proper explanation."

"Well, _yeah, _but-"

"And you didn't know about the curse," she reminded him, "As far as you knew, I did everything I was told to do, because I _wanted_ to." She looked him in the eyes for a moment, then pulled him into a hug.

"You're one of the best friends I've ever had Slannon," she told him quietly.

"I am _never_ ordering anyone to do _anything_ again," he said thickly, "Just the thought of what some one could have made you do, what _I_ could have made you do, makes me feel nauseous…"

"Well," she said pulling out of the hug, "You don't have to worry about me anymore," she informed him, "I broke the curse myself."

"I figured as much," Slannon said, nodding. "So how-?"

"I told myself I wouldn't be obedient," she said quietly, "Not if it meant stabbing Char in the back." Slannon paled.

"Ah, well, that would explain the whole being tossed in prison thing…" he said with a small nervous chuckle. Ella nodded.

"Yeah, that would be it…" She paused, and they both stood awkwardly about, not knowing what to say next until Ella broke the silence.

"You know," she said thoughtfully, "We should probably go check on the ogres, make sure they're not eating anyone…" Slannon smiled.

"Probably," he agreed, "I found them trying to eat your prison guard earlier." They smiled and nodded in agreement as they went off the find Nish and his cohorts. As they spotted the threesome trying to nibble on a fainted noble, Slannon smirked and let Ella lead the way.

_"No,"_ he thought to himself, _"I am never going to find a more interesting, or better friend, then Ella of Frell."_

**So, I will admit, not one of my best endings. Still, this story has _some _merit, no? And no, I don't think Slannon should have figured it out on his own, or that he really had anything what so ever to feel guilty over. I just think he _would,_ feel guilty I mean, if he ever _did_ figure out the curse. It just struck me as something he would do, especially considering how attached he got to Ella by the end of the movie. He'd feel mighty _uncomfortable_ apologuising, seeing as he doesn't do it often, but he'd do it, none the less.**

**Anyways, thoughts? Concerns? In character? Not? Let me know.**

**As always, thank you for reading my little one shot!**

**Gwen**


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